O.C. gas prices pass $4, expected higher

Marcel Rodriguez, 25, of Long Beach, watches the numbers climb as he fills up his Audi A6 at the Shell station on the corner of Edinger and Grand in Santa Ana. It costs Rodriguez between $70 and $80 to fill up his tank. "I can't believe how high they've gone," Rodriguez said of gas prices in Orange County, "It's ridiculous - I don't even fill up my tank. I just drive to and from work."MACKENZIE REISS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Orange County gas prices punched past the $4 mark this week, climbing fast on a trajectory that industry watchers said would keep going up.

A gallon of regular unleaded was selling here for an average of about $4.02 on Tuesday, the highest price since early November. That was up more than a cent from the day before and up more than a quarter from last week, according to AAA's daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The run-up in gas prices has hit Southern California especially hard. Refineries here have taken down production units for maintenance as they prepare for the summer rush, analysts said. That has created enough supply uncertainty for investors, betting on risk, to bid up the price.

Northern California hasn't had as heavy a maintenance cycle at its refineries, said Denton Cinquegrana, the executive editor of the Oil Price Information Service. On Tuesday, drivers in San Francisco could buy gas for about a dime less than those in Santa Ana.

Pump prices have surged nationwide in recent days; the national average of $3.52 on Monday was the highest on record for the day, according to AAA. It pointed to higher crude oil prices and a "rubber-banding" effect in the middle of the country, where prices had fallen and now are snapping back.

The wholesale prices of gasoline – usually a good indicator of where prices at the pump are going – had shot up but seemed to level off some in recent days. Even if that holds, though, the wholesale price suggests that pump prices could reach $4.10 shortly, AAA spokeswoman Marie Montgomery said.

Gas prices usually rise during the spring and peak shortly before the Memorial Day holiday. Cinquegrana said he "wouldn't be shocked" if the Orange County price hits $4.25 between now and then.

Marcel Rodriguez, 25, of Long Beach, watches the numbers climb as he fills up his Audi A6 at the Shell station on the corner of Edinger and Grand in Santa Ana. It costs Rodriguez between $70 and $80 to fill up his tank. "I can't believe how high they've gone," Rodriguez said of gas prices in Orange County, "It's ridiculous - I don't even fill up my tank. I just drive to and from work." MACKENZIE REISS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Marcel Rodriguez, 25, of Long Beach, watches the numbers climb as he fills up his Audi A6 at the Shell station on the corner of Edinger and Grand in Santa Ana. It costs Rodriguez between $70 and $80 to fill up his tank. "I can't believe how high they've gone," Rodriguez said of gas prices in Orange County, "It's ridiculous - I don't even fill up my tank. I just drive to and from work." MACKENZIE REISS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Mark Haselton, 55, of Lake Forest, puts $100 of diesel fuel into his Ford F-350 truck at the Chevron station on the corner of Fourth Street and Grand Avenue in Santa Ana. "Obviously as prices go up, your activity goes down because it costs so much to drive your car," said Haselton. MACKENZIE REISS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Mark Haselton, 55, of Lake Forest, puts $100 of diesel fuel into his Ford F-350 truck at the Chevron station on the corner of Fourth Street and Grand Avenue in Santa Ana. "Obviously as prices go up, your activity goes down because it costs so much to drive your car," said Haselton. MACKENZIE REISS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Cesar Ramirez, 19, of Santa Ana, cleans gas pumps at the 76 station on the corner of Edinger and Grand in Santa Ana. Ramirez has worked at the 76 station for four months. "I change prices (on the sign), and I haven't changed them down in the past few months," Ramirez said. MACKENZIE REISS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Gas prices in Orange County are at their highest since early November 2012. It's $4.02 per gallon of regular unleaded gas at the 76 station on the corner of Edinger and Grand in Santa Ana. MACKENZIE REISS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Gas prices in Orange County are at their highest since early November 2012. It's $4.02 per gallon of regular unleaded gas at the 76 station on the corner of Edinger and Grand in Santa Ana. MACKENZIE REISS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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